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Bulk Ink Refill Instructions

Updated December 6, 2007

Lexmark 12A1980 Color Cartridge

and many others from Brother, Compaq, Dell, Lexmark, Xerox and others.
All of the new Lexmark color cartridges used in Z-series printers have a similar design and can use these instructions. In addition, the following cartridges can use these instructions.

Inks

ACSI Bulk Inks sells inkjet ink in pint bottles to refill these cartridges. Click Here to order.

Theory

The ink in this cartridge is retained because the cartridge has an internal sponge.

Step 1) Put the cartridge on some paper towels in an area where you can tolerate a spill.

Step 2) We must remove the glued-on top. You may use either of two methods:

  1. Gently clamp the cartridge bottom in a vise or similar device. Grab the top with a large wrench or set of pliers and crack off the top. This will likely break some plastic, but this is generally cosmetic damage.
  2. Lay the cartridge on a solid surface and put the edge of a sharp knife at the intersection of the black and colored plastic. Pry gently on the lid in several places. Then pull off the top.

Step 3) Keeping the cartridge on paper towels, take a syringe bottle and fill it 1/10 to 1/8 full of ink -- about 3-5 ml -- for filling each chamber.

Step 4) Insert the needle fully into the appropriate hole. Get the tip of the needle to the bottom of the cartridge. Inject the ink very S-L-O-W-L-Y and watch until the sponge is saturated. (Some colors will not be empty, so don't expect the sponge to absorb the entire amount.

Tip:If it is unclear which color is in which chamber, stick an unbent paper clip deep into each chamber to see which ink is at the bottom. Do not rely upon the label.

Step 5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other two colors with different syringes.

Step 6) Put the top back on and tape down in place.

Step 7) Set above a paper towel for an hour as a drip precaution. Expect a few drips. The paper towel must not touch the cartridge during this step, since the towel will draw the ink out of the cartridge.

Step 8) For best results, let sit overnight before using.

To Clean the Printhead

  1. Only clean the printhead if you get poor print quality or no print.
  2. Be sure that you don't have an air bubble problem.
  3. Follow the directions in the printer manual to run the cleaning routine.
  4. If this doesn't work, take the cartridge to the nearest hot water faucet.
  5. If this doesn't work, you may wish to rinse out the entire cartridge by injecting the cartridge repeatedly with warm water. After rinsing, suction out as much water as possible with a syringe, then dry out the cartridge in a food dehydrator or by putting in front of an air conditioning or heater vent for 12 to 24 hours.
  6. If this doesn't work, soak only the printhead in simmering water for up to 2 hours. You may add up to 50 percent ammonia for really tough clogs.

To Clean Your Sink

The ink is water-soluble. Use plenty of soap and warm water. You may also need to use Comet or a similar cleaner if the stains persist.

To Clean Your Hands

On hands, the best substance to use is Ink Be GoneTM, a specially developed hand cleaner available from ACSI Bulk Inks. (To place an order, Click Here.)

To Place An Ink Order

You can telephone us at 1-888-728-2465 (USA Tollfree) or 1+740-374-9949. You can also Order Online or by other ways including by Fax, or by Postal Mail, or by EMAIL.
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